water hyacinth

noun

Definition of water hyacinth

: a showy floating aquatic herb (Eichhornia crassipes) of tropical South America that has become naturalized in warm regions (as of the southern U.S.) often clogging waterways

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Recent Examples of water hyacinth from the Web

Like water hyacinth, another hugely problematic aquatic invasive plant with which it sometimes is found in concert, salvinia can create huge, dense mats that boats find almost impenetrable.

— shannon tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Boaters key to slowing invasive species," 3 Mar. 2018
Whether introduced by accident or design, foreign species such as New Guinea flatworms, South American apple snails, and Amazonian water hyacinths can trigger a cascade of environmental fallouts affecting fragile local ecosystems.

— tibor krausz, The Christian Science Monitor, "Why this Thai businessman was named a ‘biodiversity hero’," 4 Apr. 2018
Several areas that were roseau marsh last year are now open water or covered in water hyacinth, a foreign weed that does nothing to protect the coast from erosion and storm damage.

— tristan baurick, NOLA.com, "Bug killing Louisiana's wetlands crosses the border into Texas," 15 Oct. 2017
For instance, invasive zebra mussels can out-compete native species and even clog water intakes, and invasive aquatic weeds, like water hyacinth or hydrilla, can choke out native plants and even fish.

— the nature conservancy, Country Living, "7 Ways You Can Help Keep Our Water Sources Clean," 15 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'water hyacinth.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.